Soren Kierkegaard wrote many books. However, I have recently finished reading his Works of Love book. I read this book since I find it funny that a man who had no idea how to successfully sustain a romantic relationship and had a tragic love story, would write about romantic love as he did in this book.

Instead of examining the entire book, which I admit was a tough read, I would like to share with you some quotes from the book that stood out to me.

There are, indeed, acts which in a special sense are called works of love. But in truth, because one makes charitable contributions, because he visits the widow and clothes the naked—his love is not necessarily demonstrated or made recoginsable by such deeds, for one can perform works of love in an unloving, yes even in a self-loving way, and when this is so, works of love are nevertheless not the work of love. (pg. 30 )

Christianity knows far better than any poet what love is and what it is to love. (pg. 36)

Choosing a lover, finding a friend, yes, that is a long, hard job, but one’s neighbor is easy to recognize, easy to find–if one himself will only recognize his duty. (pg. 39)

Be honest, admit that to most people, perhaps, the poet’s glowing descriptions of erotic love, of  friendship, seems far higher than this poor: “You shall love”. (pg. 44)

“True love, which has undergone the transition of the eternal by becoming duty, is never changed, it has integrity; it loves—and never hates; it never hates the beloved.” (pg. 49)

 That which makes a man despair is not misfortune, but it is this: that he lacks the eternal. Despair is to lack the eternal; despair consists in not having undergone the transformation of the eternal through duty’s “you shall”. Despair is therefore not therefore the loss of the beloved–that is misfortune, pain, and suffering; but despair is lack of the eternal. (pg. 55)

The point at issue between the poet and Christianity maybe stated precisely this way: erotic love and friendship are preferential and the passion of preference. Christian love is self-renunciation’s love and therefore trusts in this [you shall love]. (pg. 65)

Erotic love is determined by the object; friendship is determined by the object; only love to one’s neighbor is determined by love.” (pg, 77) 

…The Christian doctrine calls every man aside and says to him, “Shut your door and pray to God and you have the utmost a human being can have; love your savior, and you have everything both in life and in death; then pay no attention to the differences, for they make no difference.” (pg. 80)

[Talking about Jesus] Thus he was one with the Father, one with every single demand of the law, so that fulfilling it was a need, his only life -necessity. —Love in him was pure action. (pg. 106)

Next week I will share some more.